Induction switched reluctance motor

Abstract

A switched reluctance motor is disclosed. The switched reluctance motor includes a rotor, a stator, an air gap between the stator and the rotor, and a plurality of conductive elements. The plurality of conductive elements are disposed on the rotor.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A switched reluctance motor, comprising:
 a stator; 
 a rotor configured to rotate with respect to the stator, the rotor comprising a first back iron and a plurality of rotor poles; 
 an air gap between the stator and the rotor; and 
 a first plurality of conductive elements, the first plurality of conductive elements disposed on the rotor; wherein:
 the stator comprises a second plurality of conductive elements, a second back iron, and a plurality of stator poles, 
 the second plurality of conductive elements associated with a plurality of separately excitable phases, and 
 each phase of the plurality of separately excitable phases configured to be excited by energizing a subset of the second plurality of conductive elements using pulses of direct current. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The motor of  claim 1 , wherein the rotor is non-segmental. 
     
     
       3. The motor of  claim 1 , wherein the rotor is located in a position, the position being interior of the stator. 
     
     
       4. The motor of  claim 1 , wherein the rotor is located in a position, the position being exterior of the stator. 
     
     
       5. The motor of  claim 1 , wherein
 the rotor includes a first material, 
 the first material includes a ferromagnetic material, 
 the stator includes a second material, and 
 the second material includes a ferromagnetic material. 
 
     
     
       6. The motor of  claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of conductive elements includes a plurality of concentric wound windings. 
     
     
       7. The motor of  claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of conductive elements includes a plurality of solid conductive elements. 
     
     
       8. The motor of  claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of conductive elements are short-circuited. 
     
     
       9. The motor of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each element of the first plurality of conductive elements is disposed between a first adjacent poles pair of the plurality of rotor poles, and 
 each element of the second plurality of conductive elements is disposed between a second adjacent poles pair of the plurality of stator poles. 
 
     
     
       10. The motor of  claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of conductive elements include a plurality of concentric wound windings. 
     
     
       11. The motor of  claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of conductive elements include a plurality of solid conductive elements. 
     
     
       12. The motor of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each conductive element of the first plurality of conductive elements and 
 each conductive element of the second plurality of conductive elements includes a full-pitch winding. 
 
     
     
       13. The motor of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each conductive element of the first plurality of conductive elements includes a short-pitch winding, 
 the short-pitch winding includes a single tooth winding, and 
 the conductive element of the second plurality of conductive elements includes a full-pitch winding. 
 
     
     
       14. The motor of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each conductive element of the first plurality of conductive elements includes a short-pitch winding, 
 the plurality of stator poles comprise a plurality of adjacent poles pairs, each of the plurality of adjacent poles pairs comprising a first stator pole and a second stator pole, a width of the first stator pole being at least twice as large as a width of the second stator pole, 
 each conductive element of the second plurality of conductive elements comprises a short-pitch winding wound around the first stator pole, and 
 the short-pitch winding includes a single tooth winding. 
 
     
     
       15. The motor of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of rotor poles are connected to the first back iron, and 
 the plurality of stator poles are connected to the second back iron. 
 
     
     
       16. The motor of  claim 1 , wherein a number of the plurality of stator poles is equal to or smaller than 18. 
     
     
       17. The motor of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each phase of the plurality of separately excitable phases is associated with one respective stator pole of the plurality of stator poles and a short flux path, and 
 the short flux path excludes the first back iron. 
 
     
     
       18. The motor of  claim 1 , wherein the short flux path comprises:
 a stator pole among the plurality of stator poles, 
 a portion of a rotor pole among the plurality of rotor poles, the rotor pole being adjacent to the stator pole, and 
 a portion of the air gap, the portion of the air gap being located between the stator pole and the portion of the rotor pole.